Think about all of your favorite foods, the ones that remind you of home, remind you of your mom’s cooking. Those foods that bring you comfort when you’re having a tough day. That’s why they call them “comfort food”!
While these are delicious meals that make us feel happy, they aren’t’ always the healthiest option when you are trying to stick to a diet and lose weight. Can you lose weight while eating comfort foods on a regular basis? It sounds impossible, but that’s just what the Taste of Home’s Comfort Food Diet Cookbook sets out to do!
Can You Lose Weight With the Comfort Food Diet?
The key to making this all work is to use low-fat and fat-free ingredients, while still making dishes that will satisfy your cravings. The book contains hundreds of recipes and is separated into sections that include slow cooker meals, meals that can be prepared in twenty minutes or less, dishes that require eight ingredients or fewer, etc. Even if you are on a calorie-restricted diet, such as 1,400 calories, for example, it even has a six-week menu that is very easy to follow. This particular meal plan would include 350 calories for breakfast, another 450 over lunch, 500 at dinner, and allowance for two snacks of 50 calories each through the day.
More Than Just Recipes
What makes this book even better, beyond the delicious recipes that are good for your health, is it digs deeper into the reasons why we tend to overeat and cheat on our diet. The section that talked about emotional eating was quite poignant, particularly. Who here hasn’t gone through a bout of stress or depression and sought solace in food? This book provides tips on how to break this spell and stay on your diet, even when you aren’t completely put together emotionally.
Another thing that I found helpful in the book was the suggestion of keeping a food journal. This is something that I have always preached. It is easier to know where you stand, calorie-wise, if you are keeping a log of what you are eating. It helps you to be more food-conscious and make smarter choices in the kitchen.
There are also other fun sections such as how to slim down while cleaning up. As it is now March, spring cleaning is in full swing at my house. You’d be surprised at how many calories you burn while performing household chores! Did you know that you can burn around 50 calories just by spending 10 minutes making your bed, dusting, or sweeping the floor?
Final Thoughts
Overall, this isn’t a groundbreaking book by any means – there is a lot of literature out there on how you can still enjoy your favorite meals and eat what you want, but in a healthier way. However, it is another good resource to have if you are out of ideas on what dishes to prepare. It also provides many helpful tips to understand your eating habits and how little things can help ensure your success on your diet. If you have room for another diet cookbook on your shelf, there are worse options than Taste of Home’s Comfort Food Cookbook! You can find it available here on Amazon.com.
About Shaun Hudson
Shaun Hudson loves sports, being outdoors, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After many unsuccessful attempts to lose weight, he finally was able to drop 25 pounds and keep it off. The secret? He kept a journal of his activity, diet, and daily life. That journal changed his life, and has since evolved into this website. Read his full bio.